Per A.R.S. §38-431.02, all notices of the public meetings for the Arizona Department of Education can be accessed by clicking the link below. Notices will also be posted outside the State Board of Education Meeting Room on the first floor at 1535 West Jefferson Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85007, which is open to the public between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday except legal holidays. Such notices will indicate the date, time, and place of the meeting and will include an agenda.

My name is Luis Hernandez and I am a recent GED graduate. I am excited to share with you all the impact that Adult Education has had on my life and on the life of my family.

I have always enjoyed learning, but at the age of 16, I had to drop out of high school to get a job and support my family. I’ve been with my wife Bethanie for 19 years and we have 3 boys: Daniel (18), Luis (17) and Roberto (15). Several years ago, Daniel started to have problems at school, so we searched for a solution and after trying online school, we decided that it would be best for him to attend a GED class. I took him to Friendly House to sign him up for class and when I returned home, my wife asked me why I hadn’t signed up, too.

I’ve always wanted that piece of paper that says I am a High School Graduate, but over the years it seemed selfish to put that want before the financial needs of my family. This year, however, Bethanie had a job and was able to pay the bills and Daniel needed my support. I decided that this was my chance.

I eventually found my way into the I-BEST [Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training] program. I took an RLA [Reasoning through Language Arts] class with Heather [Patterson, lead I-BEST instructor for Friendly House] and she told me she wanted me to join the I-BEST program. I still wasn’t sure, but my classmate Sarah really persuaded me to join.

I found the I-BEST class to be really enjoyable; there was so much to learn. It was a challenge that I was happy to face. I successfully completed the Pharmacy Technician class at the start of this year and 2 weeks later I passed my last GED test. I was proud to score 99 on the civics test, but I may go back and retake it just to see if I can score that extra point!

As for my family, I know that Daniel would have finished his GED no matter what, but I believe that seeing me in class and taking tests inspired him to push himself a little harder. He has also completed his GED and is currently enlisting in the army to serve our country.

When I signed up for class, my goal was to get my GED, nothing more. And yet, less than 8 months later I am studying to take my Pharmacy Tech boards. This time around I will not put limits on myself and I am thinking of becoming a Pharmacist.

I would encourage anyone who is thinking about going back to school to go! Find a program that fits your needs. Adult Education has opened so many doors for me and also for my family. I am ready to start a career. I will forever be grateful to my wife for encouraging me to take the first step toward enrolling in the program.